A lecture by the Hon. Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs

(Berlin; December 17th - 21st, 2013)

Symposium Overview

The Madrid Symposium will focus on "The Promotion of World Peace through Interfaith Dialogue & Global Political Discourse" and will highlight the importance of inter-faith dialogue and global political discourse as vehicles for World Peace. The potential role religion and politics play in the promotion of peace building and stability will be outlined, with the aim to exemplify the positive and demonstrative effect it can bear in impacting society.

Religion can be used as a major force of reconciliation between divergent factions; through the analysis and promotion of inter-faith dialogue, the Symposium will illustrate the key role inter-faith dialogue and global political discourse plays and can play in facilitating mutual understanding. In addition, inter-ethnic dialogue and the issue of tolerance of varying spiritual affiliations within a country or region will be analyzed. The overall objective of the Symposium will be to demonstrate how inter-faith dialogue and global political discourse can be used as effective tools in promoting global peace and reconciliation, and the power of religion and global political discourse to bring varying groups together in order to establish and maintain constructive channels of communication and sustainable collaboration.

Speakers and delegates during the symposium will include leading politicians, chief diplomats, leading governmental officials, senior academics, renowned authors, journalists, and celebrated artists. These speakers will include a large number of individuals from the ICD Advisory Board. To learn more about the ICD Advisory Board, please click here.

Speakers for the Symposium include:

Dr. Pilar Vélez Melón
Rector, Nebrija University

Hon. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
Former Prime Minister of Spain

Hon. Lawrence Gonzi
Former Prime Minister of Malta

Symposium Locations

Based in Madrid, the Symposium will be hosted at a number of important political, historic, and cultural locations across the city, and will consist of excursions to the country's top institutions and landmarks.

Participation in the Symposium is open to governmental & diplomatic officials, civil society practitioners, young professionals and students as well as other interested individuals from across the world.

If you would like to reserve a position and participate in the Symposium, please click on the link below and fill out the online application form:

Certificate of Attendance

All Symposium participants will be awarded an official Certificate of Attendance upon completion of the program, which will provide details of the high-profile speakers who took part in the event, and list the topics which were discussed. Each certificate will be signed by two members of the vast ICD Advisory Board.

Symposium Agenda

The Symposium will employ thorough examinations and in-depth analyses of past and present occurrences of conflict in order to propose solutions and explore the use and potential of inter-faith dialogue to promote discourse with the ultimate goal of world peace promotion. The Symposium will unite religious leaders together with politicians, diplomats, and academics in order to create cultural platforms for dialogue between nation states and leaders; the event will emphasize the necessity for such global players in joining together to commit to open inter-faith dialogue.

The Symposium will focus in particular on the following areas:

Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism in the Global Community

The Role of Inter-faith Dialogue in Peace Building & Reconciliation

Challenges and Opportunities for World Leaders Promoting Inter-faith Dialogue

The Application of Cultural Diplomacy in Promoting Inter-faith Dialogue

The Conference Committee encourages academic research and analysis of issues related to the goals of the Conference. The Conference Committee would therefore like to welcome the participants of the conference to submit a paper they would like to be considered for presentation at the conference as well as being included in the proposal document that will be issued following the conference and will be sent to all governments and leaders of the international community worldwide.

During the program participants will have a number of opportunities to network with one another, with the speakers, and with ICD Advisory Board Members and partners. Conference participants will become part of the ICD Alumni, a growing international network of people of diverse interests and backgrounds from around the world who share a commitment to intercultural exchange. Members of the ICD Alumni Group will benefit from the following opportunities: Alumni online forum, Advisory Board Networking, ICD support for individual Leadership Initiatives, free access to all ICD research, videos and photos as well as other event documentation. Participants will be able to remain in touch with each other through the ICD Networks. (more »)